Chapter 16
“You can’t be serious?” The room grew colder as Mr. Weaver looked between us.
“Don’t let him leave,” Ms. Protean said mildly, waving a knitting needle vaguely in his direction. “Tell him he needs to stay.”
“Oh, um,” I began, my skin growing warm as I flustered. Mr. Weaver had grown quite pale—even for a ghost—and his form began to fade. “Mr. Weaver, stay here.”
When he glared at me, I added, “Please.”
Why, though? It was somewhat troublesome to have to translate between the two of them. It would be much easier if Ms. Protean could communicate with him herself.
With that thought, he rematerialized. However, there was something different in the way he felt. His shadowy form was more solid than before. And there was no question that, now, Ms. Protean was able to see him.
“Just where did you think you were going?” She glowered in his direction.
“How dare you!” Mr. Weaver pointed at her, disbelief still thick on his wrinkled face. “I didn’t confide in you for you to use it against me.”
“Then think before you act,” she told him. “I didn’t have even to see you to know you were about to run off to Gregory.”
“Of course I was!” Mr. Weaver responded. “How dare he not tell me!”
“Don’t assume anything just yet.” She looked toward me, resting her chin on her folded hands. She looked at me. “Does Gregory even know that you’re Mu?”
“I—I don’t know?” I shrugged. As far as I knew, he didn’t know anything about me. But then again, the boys never told me much of their interactions with Dr. Stephens.
“It seems Mr. Abernathy is resorting to desperate measures to hide your identity.” Ms. Protean touched her chin. “There’s no other reason why he’d be so actively celebrating your marriage to Bryce.”
“They’re married?” Mr. Weaver’s mouth dropped open.
“It was Miles’s idea,” I whispered. “They said it would make people less suspicious of me being around everyone.”
Even though it was still very gross.
“I suppose,” Ms. Protean frowned. “I’m surprised Gregory hasn’t figured it out. It’s a matter of time before he must be made aware. We need the entire team—including Caleb. Joe already knows—he stated so in his memo.”
Memo?
“I also called you here for another reason,” Ms. Protean said, her tone measured. “I wanted to let you know I’ve been invited to consult in the case.”
My blood chilled. “The… case?”
She watched me evenly. “The case investigating Eric Richards and his involvement in human trafficking. ”
“T-that’s still o-open?” I stared at her desk as the floor dropped out from under me. “But i-it’s been ten years!”
“I assist in other work, but my specialty is cold cases,” Ms. Protean replied. “I’ve gone through the files. You’re the key witness, but there’s no record of your interview. Will you talk to me about your experience?”
“No!” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I-I don’t want to t-talk about it! They said I don’t have to!”
I glanced at her after she didn’t respond to see that she was watching me, her head tilted and a thoughtful look on her face.
After a moment, she finally spoke. “All right. But know that, this time, you have your family and your quintet behind you. In my opinion, Bryce didn’t only marry you to avoid suspicion or to give you freedom.
He did it to give you the protection of the Dubois name until you can be reintegrated with your family of origin.
I believe that’s the main reason for this whole facade. ”
“That’s”—I pushed my toes into the floor as my shoulders tensed. “I’m fine as things are now. Damen is taking care of me.”
“Still…” Ms. Protean lifted her eyebrow. “You don’t want to reunite with your birth family?” She glanced toward Mr. Weaver, who was watching me. I vaguely realized that he fell into that category—but he wasn’t my concern.
“I don’t want to meet him ,” I said. “Brayden said he wants to help me, but I don’t care.” It wasn’t just that I was irrationally angry at him, but…
There was no way to mend that gap. I was too ashamed.
“He didn’t want me, so I don’t need him or anything he might want to offer me now. I’m fine relying on Damen for a little while,” I told her. “He gave me a room. It might take me some time, but I’ll figure out how to make it on my own.”
Ms. Protean nodded. “You’re talking about your father? Regardless of where you reside, Mr. Abernathy always keeps a place for his quintet in his home. But Declan—”
“Why do you do that?” I interrupted her. This would be the perfect time to change the subject.
She paused before she asked, “Do what?”
“You call Damen and the others with honorifics,” I said. “But you call the fae by their names.”
“I don’t address all fae by their names,” she answered, still watching me cautiously. “I address certain fae by their names depending on my relationship with them or that person’s connection to your mother. I was her godmother.”
I blinked at her.
“Of those you know of, it’d be you, Bryce, Brayden,” she began, counting off on her fingers. “Gregory, Caleb—” she glanced at him “—and Declan.”
I bit my tongue, and my shoulders tensed. She’d turned the conversation back to him!
“You will need to meet him eventually,” she continued.
“He is your Paragon Er Bashou. However, you do also have Gregory. So, you are not entirely without a mentor. Plus, all the fae Proxies are your magical guardians at different rankings. For example, this one.” She finished her statement, gesturing vaguely at Mr. Weaver.
“He’s your great uncle too. He was also supposed to train you. ”
I eyed him as he glared at the floor. He appeared disgruntled, but I couldn’t imagine why he was so moody. I couldn’t believe I’d have been expected to learn from such a grumpy old man. What a nightmare.
“ You were supposed to teach me?” I asked him, wrinkling my nose. It served him right—remarking on my lack of education and terrible family .
They said he was Unseelie. So, what in the world did he specialize in? Evil curses, like Xavier?
I could see it.
Mr. Weaver blinked out of his dark pout and crossed his arms. “You’re not so charming yourself.”
“Ignore him,” Ms. Protean said. “Caleb’s first reaction to a connection is aggression. He doesn’t open up easily, but he wouldn’t talk to you if he weren’t intrigued. Like I’ve told you before, we Officers will feel a pull to you at first sight.”
“We’re not connected at all,” Mr. Weaver protested. “Besides, I still don’t understand how she can be Mu. She doesn’t even know how to cook!”
“If that’s true, then do you really think Dr. Stephens doesn’t know who I am?” I asked, ignoring Mr. Weaver’s assessment of my culinary skills. “I’ve been around him multiple times. He introduced me to Damen in the first place.”
Ms. Protean frowned, exchanging a glance with Mr. Weaver. The ghost dropped his angry expression for one of contemplation.
“It’s difficult to say,” Mr. Weaver said, stroking his scratchy-looking chin.
“I think it’s safe to assume that he doesn’t know,” Ms. Protean mused, pressing her knitting project on the desk.
She was frowning down at it, wariness in her voice.
“He would make himself more involved if he was aware. When I first met you, something was holding back your presence, which has now been broken. Gregory is terrible at self-reflection. He probably hasn’t thought about it even if he did notice the change. ”
Wow. Dr. Stephens didn’t sound very responsible.
“Don’t worry about Gregory.” Ms. Protean glanced back up. “He’s brilliant, but odd.”
“But you hate him,” I said .
The serene expression dropped from her face, and she picked up her knitting. “Indeed.”
“Do you know why Damen doesn’t want him to know?” Did it have anything to do with Mr. Weaver’s stewing as he floated about the room?
“I personally don’t care,” Ms. Protean said with a shrug.
“But fae are very particular. They rarely allow women to cross into this realm. And historically, the majority of your Officers are men. He hasn’t said it yet, which surprises me, but I’m certain Caleb is having a spiritual coronary at the mere idea of you —Mu—being a female. ”
“It’s too dangerous!” Mr. Weaver nodded. “She’s delicate. It’s not possible.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, anger prickling my senses. Now I was delicate?
“Gregory’s attitude is slightly better.” She began to knit again. “The fae wouldn’t know the first thing to do under female leadership. So, you see why the first female Xing being born fae is a comedic twist of fate.”
“You’re loving this.” Mr. Weaver glared at Ms. Protean.
“Maybe.” The corner of her mouth lifted, and her gaze flashed over me.
“Do you think it’s karma?” I offered, trying to distract from Mr. Weaver’s tightening expression and the heavy tension descending on the room. “Because of the fae’s uptight attitudes and outdated beliefs?”
She watched me, silent for a short moment, before she smiled. The expression softened the harsh lines on her face. “I think this will work fabulously.”
“You’d say that,” Mr. Weaver grumbled.
“We’ll keep your secret. And don’t worry about Gregory.
See what the others have planned.” She turned her attention back to her project.
“Regarding our earlier discussion, I think taking off the semester is safe—if you so wish. Afterward, if you’re open to the idea, I may be willing to take on a protégée. ”
Miles POV
I looked up from the desk as the door creaked open and held my breath.
Dean Abernathy had allowed me to borrow his office for this confrontation and, since then, had made himself scarce.
My heart pounded—I generally did not enjoy this type of discussion, and since one of the other parties was Jonathon, it would be especially difficult.
I doubted I could hold my own against him, even in casual conversation. There was something terrifying about his knowing stare.
But I had to be brave—for Bianca’s sake.